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Photo: CarFree.us "I knew I was benefiting myself and the environment by commuting without a car, but to see the real impact is very amazing." If you want to get around faster than your feet can take you while doing as little harm as possible, the bicycle is your best option. An unnamed author has recently started documenting his experience with becoming a bicycle commuter, and the results are interesting (and hopefully encouraging enough that others will do the same!). In a recent post, he does a little math to see how much money his new green commuting habits are saving h... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo via USA Today Volkswagen has recently announced some pretty ambitious goals: it's looking to have 300,000 of the cars it sells yearly--3% of global deliveries--be electric by 2018. It's seeking to surpass Toyota as the world's largest automaker by the same time. Recently, while covering the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, I had the opportunity to sit down w... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo: Pininfarina A Proving Ground for Lithium-Metal-Polymer Batteries? After some delays and problems, it looks like the Bluecar EV by Pininfarina and Bolloré is going to launch in the fall of 2010 if crash tests are successful and the car meets safety regulations. the fall target is for rental only, though. The Bluecar will go on sale at a later, yet unknown date.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image via Porsche digg_url = 'http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/8-electric-concept-cars-shaking-up-auto-industry-now.php'; Most of the excitement at Geneva this year didn't come from the announcement of new production model cars. No, the task of riling up the auto press was left to the hyper-fuel ef... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo: Nissan Correction: It looks like BusinessWeek was wrong. A representative from Nissan contacted us and 56,000 is not the number of pre-orders, but rather the number of people who have signed up on their website for more information about the LEAF once it is released. Incidentally, that number is now 71,000, and while it is a good sign for Nissan, it means a lot less for the future commercial success of the LEAF than actual pre-orders would. And That's Just for the United States... Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Nissan and Renault, isn't the kind of guy who j... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo: Kia South-Korean Automakers Could Help Make EVs More Affordable I have a love/hate relationship with concept cars. It's always fun to see what automotive engineers can come up with, and they have a lot more freedom to innovate with concept cars than with production models, but a lot of the time, the results can be impractical and/or silly, and you just know that they'll never make a production version. That's why I'm happy to see that Kia's electric car concept is based on a production model. Read on for the technical specs.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo credit Yakkay via Facebook. This is not a story of why you should wear your helmet. We're not going to get into that hornet's nest...if we can help it. The debate may never be over. Instead, we're going to show off the ways helmet manufacturers are trying to make you WANT to wear your helmet...if you want to wear a helmet. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image credit: Gearless I'm a big fan of Robert Llewellyn's Carpool show. From reviewing the Mitsubishi MiEV to interviewing Dale Vince of Ecotricity, he covers some important green tech—and occasionally just chats with legends of cult UK comedy. Now he has a new show that should satisfy the electric car crowd—Robert has been given a Mistubishi MiEV for a whole y... Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Source: Merkley and Partners This Sunday nestled among the tributes to Hollywood's brightest stars during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Mercedes-Benz USA will unveil a new ad campaign called "Tree of Innovation" which stars the S400 HYBRID and showcases the company's expanding repertoire of environmentally oriented vehicles. The ad is the first to ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo: Flickr, CC World Streets has a great interview with Morten Lange, the head of the Icelandic Cyclists' Federation. Part of the interview is about Iceland-specific things, but most of it applies to cyclists everywhere. It's a good read, check out some highlights below or read the whole thing here.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo: longjohn.org Work Bikes, Freight Bicycles, Cargo Trikes, Utility Bicycles, Industrial Bikes -- or whatever you want to call them -- have been been with us for almost as long as the original safety bicycle itself. Though not conceived for recreation or racing, they have often been conscripted into those rolls too. But primarily their role has been utilitarian. Moving materials, goods, animals and people from place to place. Human propelled mules. Pedal powered trucks. This visual teaser showcases the capabilities of these uber-efficient beasts of burden. Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image: StreetFilms Stress-Free Green Commuting We write a lot about how to reduce the impact of transportation and make our society less car-centric. Well, here's a good example: Seattle's relatively new Link light-rail. It currently has 13 stations that are all bike-accessible (with covered racks or lockers), and you can put at least 4 bikes in each train car. "Service is frequent, with headways as short as 7 minutes during rush hour, and never longer than 15 minutes. And like... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image credit: Method The hybrid car has become the icon of eco; a status symbol of responsibility. Roll up in one and you have instant green cred. There is even a sub-culture of hybridism, talking up the benefits and doling out deals to hybrid owners. But what is the real intention of all these incentives? Did someone consider the effects of these perks when they were designed?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo: Flickr, CC Relatively Fewer Car Trips Data from the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) for 2009 contains some encouraging transportation trends when compared to the previous survey done in 2001. It shows that the share of trips that Americans made using cars dropped by more than 4%, and this decline was compensated in about equal part by increases in walking and cycling, and by public transit. What does this mean?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail's new City Hall columnist Marcus Gee may not know anything about architectural preservation, but he rides his bike all winter in Toronto and appears to know what he writes about on that subject. After two winters of cycling, he has concluded that "it's far safer and more comfortable than you might imagine and a lot more fun." ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

digg_url = 'http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/all-electric-3-wheel-one-seater-honda-3r-c-video.php'; I know what you're thinking. That's a lot of hyphens in the headline. Or maybe that Honda's 3R-C electric vehicle concept is straight off the set from a RoboCop movie? Or Tron? Or at least that this thing is odd, futuristic, awkward, and most definitely intriguing. Yes, the 3R-... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo via Autoblog Green At the 2010 Geneva auto show (from whence I'm reporting), Ford took the opportunity to announce its plans for moving electric vehicles to market in Europe. Not be outdone by Volkswagen--which announced its EV strategy yesterday--Ford is planning on offering no less than 5 electric and hybrid electric cars for sale by 2013.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

It is an English acronym, short for "Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You!", a common excuse used when pedestrians get hit, doors get opened, and "accidents" happen. In the UK there is a campaign to change attitudes of the public, police practices and prosecution in the courts, saying that it is just an excuse for covering up carelessness. I personally got Smidsied in Florida as a pedestrian by a truck doing a left turn in the only intersection of a very small town; he didn't think people actually walk in the evening. I got it again the other day on my bike. Now Read the full story on TreeHugger

Photo: Currie Technologies "We are confident that the Express will make an eBike believer out of anyone that takes it for an extended test ride," says Larry Pizzi, president of Currie Technologies. The iZip Express is the latest hybrid electric bicycle from Currie, and is arriving on the US market after three years of development. The nuts and bolts are that its 36V 18Ah Lithium-ion battery can move the rider at speeds in the vicinity of 32km/h (20 mph) and it can manage a range of between 50 and 80 km (30 -5- miles) depending on the mode selected. But what's got Currie revved up is their pate... Read the full story on TreeHugger